A Study in Amos

Floods & Wars

Amos 3:9-11 — “An adversary there shall be even round about the land; and he shall bring down thy strength from thee, and thy palaces shall be spoiled.” This message comes in the aftermath of the devastating flood that hit our town. In this somewhat obscure text from the Book of Amos, we find some…

A Little Poetry

Amos 3:3-6 — “Can two walk together, except they be agreed?…Shall there be evil in a city, and the LORD hath not done it?” In our study through the Book of Amos we come to a series of seven questions that describe four scenes. It is poetry and therefore we need to interpret it as…

A False Assumption

Amos 3:1-2 — “You only have I known of all the families of the earth: therefore I will punish you for all your iniquities.” We tend to go easier on the people we’re closest to when they mess up. We might even overlook or excuse their bad behaviour. This was not the case when it came…

Selling the Poor for a Pair of Shoes

Amos 2:4-8 — “For three transgressions of Israel, and for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof; because they sold the righteous for silver, and the poor for a pair of shoes…” Greed was flourishing in Israel and as always happens, with greed came injustice and oppression. The poor and the vulnerable were being…

Does God Care?

Amos 1:1-2:3 — “The LORD will roar from Zion, and utter his voice from Jerusalem; and the habitations of the shepherds shall mourn, and the top of Carmel shall wither.” The first two chapters of Amos contain eight oracles of judgment, each one is addressed to a different nation. In this sermon, we consider the…